Admissions

The JMP seeks applicants who are motivated and prepared to investigate biological, behavioral, or policy-related aspects of health and health care systems leading to completion of a Master of Science thesis.

The JMP welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. The faculty is committed to increasing the number of physicians in the profession from populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession.

To apply to the MS/MD UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, applicants must file an application via the on-line AMCAS application by designating the School of Medicine at UCSF. The application deadline is October 15 of each year.

Applicants who are selected by UCSF to submit a secondary application must check the JMP box on the secondary application to indicate interest in the JMP. After checking the JMP box, applicants will be prompted to provide additional JMP-specific materials, including two short essay questions. Only applicants who have checked the JMP box on their UCSF secondary application will be considered for JMP admission.

Applicants are selected for interview at the JMP from the pool of those who have checked the JMP box on their UCSF secondary application. Interviews are arranged by JMP staff. At the time of interview invitation, applicants will be sent an application to the Graduate Division of the University of California at Berkeley. Interviews for the Joint Medical Program are separate from those for the traditional UCSF program and the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).

The JMP Admissions Panel is composed of faculty members and student representatives from both the UCSF and Berkeley campuses. The results of the interviews and deliberations of the JMP Admissions Panel are separate from those of the School of Medicine, and applicants offered admission to both the Joint Medical Program and the School of Medicine at UCSF are required to choose between them.

JMP applicants are admitted as both medical and graduate students, and therefore must apply and be admitted to both UCSF School of Medicine and the UC Berkeley Graduate Division. Admissions details for the MD, including prerequisite courses, are outlined on the UCSF site.

Requirements for admission to the UC Berkeley Graduate Division are:

a bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution

a minimum GPA of 3.0

the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in lieu of the GRE

In addition to the academic requirements listed on the UCSF website, the JMP recommends upper-division courses in the biological, behavioral, and social sciences and an introductory course in statistics.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants are required to take the MCAT within three years of matriculation. The MCAT is accepted by Berkeley in lieu of the GRE.

If you have questions about prerequisite courses or the date of your MCAT, please call the Office of Admissions at the UCSF School of Medicine at (415) 476-4044.

Each JMP class of 16 students accepts four students who participate in PRIME-US at the JMP. JMP applicants interested in PRIME-US should check the PRIME box as well as the JMP box on the UCSF secondary application. Interviews for PRIME-US at the JMP take place on the JMP interview day. Selection for PRIME-US at the JMP occurs after acceptance to the JMP. Prospective students interested in PRIME-US at the JMP should make sure to complete both the PRIME-US application and the JMP application in the UCSF secondary application.

The JMP is the most student-centered place of learning I've ever been a part of. Literally every aspect of the program is oriented around helping to train students in research and clinical and pre-clinical medicine.